There was absolute silence for about two seconds.

Ben cried out and rolled off of Keiba, pressing his hands to his wounded side. At the last moment he’d pushed her out of the way, but he’d taken the bullet instead. Keiba screamed and pressed her own hands on top of his heedless of the blood oozing between their fingers.

Min rushed to Keiba’s side, tearing off his shirt along the way. The fabric replaced Keiba and Ben’s fingers over the wound.

Yun panicked as she fiddled with the gun. That guy wasn’t supposed to be the one that got shot. It was Keiba. She needed to die. She tried to reload it, but the slick surface, combined with the trembling of her fingers, made it impossible for her to hold onto it. The weapon slipped from her grasp and hit the ground. When she dove for it, the rope about her neck brought her up short. She forgot about the gun, freed herself, and dashed into the trees. Min cursed watching her disappear into the foliage.

“Apply pressure,” he instructed Keiba. “And keep him talking.”

She nodded and pressed harder against the injury. Ben groaned, digging his fingers into the ground against the pain. Keiba bit her lip.

“I’ll be back.” Min promised and took off after Yun.

“Be careful!” She called after him. There wasn’t a response, but Keiba was sure that he’d heard her. “Ben, can you hear me?” She said then thought, well, that was a stupid question.

He nodded.  

“Good. Uh, where’s your phone?” She asked, remembering hers was in her room.

“My pocket…”

She reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. Smudging the screen with blood, she dialed 9-1-1 and spoke to the dispatch with the receiver away from her face. The woman advised Keiba to keep doing what she was doing, applying pressure and keeping Ben engaged, and that police and the ambulance would be there shortly. She got off the phone and placed it onto the ground beside them.

She returned her attention to Ben.

 “Umm,” she racked her brain for something to say. “I… I want you to know that I’m here for you, Ben, and I’ll stay with you for as long as it takes. So don’t pass out on me okay?”

He managed to give her a small ghost of a smile. “Okay,” his voice was weak. Very weak.

“Uh,” Keiba fought back tears as she tried to think of more things to say. “Sorry, I’m not very good at this.” She admitted.

“You’re doing fine, Keeb.” He murmured.

“Thanks.” She sniffled. “So, uh, what’s your favorite color?”

“Green. I think.”

“Yeah? Why green?”

Ben tried to shrug, but stopped when the pain stabbed at him. Instead he said, “Because it looks good on her…”

“Looks good on who?” She wondered.

“Ruth.”

“Who?”

Ben muttered something more but she couldn’t make it out. He turned his face away, grimacing. Keiba gnawed at her lip and tasted blood. She hoped that the ambulance arrived soon…

~*~*~

In the forest Min was quickly gaining on Yun despite the rain in his eyes and the many trees that seemed to spring up out of nowhere. He spied her white robe through the trunks up ahead and pushed himself to run faster. He was glad she was wearing something so ostentatious.

“Yun!” He shouted.

She flinched and glanced behind her. But the moment she turned her head, wham! She slammed into the trunk of an oak. She bounced back and landed in a heap at the foot of the tree. Min skidded to a stop beside her.

“You ing .” He spat. He forced her to stand and pressed her up against the tree and glared down into her face.

“M–Min-Kyung oppa,” she stuttered.

“Shut up. Even if I don’t hit her girls as a rule, I’ll just as soon make you my one and only exception.” He deliberately spoke in English now just to make her feel uncomfortable.

“Oppa please,”

He ignored her and pulled out his phone to call the police.

“Let’s think about this for a second.” She interjected desperately. “I mean, isn’t this romantic? Just the two of us, alone, hiding under the protecting branches of the tree. It’s raining, your shirt’s off…” She went to touch the firm muscles of his chest, but the look in his eyes stopped her. “Can’t you see things from my point of view? Can’t you see what you’re missing out by staying with that—”

“If the next word out of your mouth is an insult, I’ll take back what I said earlier and ing end you.”

Yun clamped shut and began to weep pitifully.

After Min got off the phone with the police, he turned Yun around and pressed her up against the tree. He used the tie of her robe to secure her hands behind her back and then forced her to walk back to the spot he’d left Keiba. She was still working on Ben, but he was growing unresponsive. Min could see that the moisture in her gaze wasn’t the rain getting in her eyes when she looked up at the sound of him approaching. But even with her soaked in water and her hair sticking to her face and curling down her back, she looked so beautiful to him that he couldn’t help but smile a little. Their mutual relief stretched across the space between them.

But when the police and ambulance arrived on scene, Yun took advantage of Min’s slackening grip and slipped free. She was heading toward the street. Of course, no one can run very well with their hands tied behind them, but Yun didn’t have far to go. The police hadn’t even had the time to react before she jumped into traffic and was hit by a passing car. The breaks squealed. Min gasped. Keiba stared, watching the body roll ungracefully over the hood and land brokenly behind it. The car skidded to a stop and the driver hopped out.

It was Ms. Heller.

Cars honked at her, but Ms. Heller could only stare at the broken mass lying on the street. Utterly speechless. And then her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she passed out. The back of her head bounced off the pavement.

The rain had long since stopped when a second ambulance appeared on scene to take the unconscious Mrs. Heller away. Yun was covered with a white sheet and was pronounced dead at the scene. Keiba and Min, both shaken from the incident, were separated and debriefed by two policemen, Officer Bank and Officer York. Afterward they were informed that they may be called in again for more questioning.

“Do you need a ride to the hospital?” Officer York inquired.

Min shook his head. He’d been given a shirt by one of the paramedics. Keiba intertwined their fingers. “I’ll drive us. It’s fine.”

“Well visiting hours are over by now.” Officer Bank informed them. “So you might want to wait until tomorrow.”

Min nodded. “We’ll do that then.”

“Good deal.”

The officers entered the vehicle and drove off. Min sighed. He sounded as though he’d aged greatly in the last hour and a half. He jumped when Keiba sneezed.

“I guess we should head inside.” He said.

She nodded. “I hope we don’t get sick.”

“I think you might’ve jinxed it.” He joked.

The corner of tilted upward. “C’mon. Let’s go.”

They entered the elevator shivering and huddled together for warmth. The coldness of the moist night hadn’t hit them until that moment.

Keiba’s teeth chattered as she led them to her door, but she was reluctant to let his fingers go. “Min?” She asked.

“Yeah?”

“Could I stay with you tonight?”

He couldn’t keep the grin off his face. He knew she wanted to stay because she didn’t want to be alone, but he was excited for her company just the same.

“Of course, baby.” He replied.

She smiled shyly in return. “Thanks. Wait here; I’ll get my towel and some clothes.”

He nodded. She was gone for all of about twenty seconds. When she reemerged she followed him to his room and once inside she surveyed the space. As she figured, it was boyishly, but not obscenely, messy. There was even a path, lined by clothes and books, leading to the bathroom. Min blushed and rubbed the back of his head.

“Sorry. I didn’t know I’d have company.” He explained.

She shook her head. “Don’t worry about it. But,” she looked at the cleaner, neater bed next to his. “Where’s your roommate?”

“He comes and goes.” He replied vaguely. “We’re not exactly close, so I don’t know where or when he’ll be back.” But he was fervently hoping that tonight he and Keiba would be alone.

“Did you want to take a shower?” He asked.

She shook her head. “Nah. I usually take mine in the morning. Although I wanted to brush my teeth if that’s okay?”

“Make yourself at home.”

She nodded.

After she’d brushed her teeth and put her hair up, Keiba changed out of her wet clothes into a shirt several sizes too big and a pair of basketball shorts. The bed smelled like Min-Kyung: a combination of Axe body spray and his own personal scent that was difficult for Keiba to identify. She inhaled deeply and sunk into the mattress. She was asleep within seconds.

But she woke again, not fifteen minutes later, panting as her heart palpitated in her chest. A shirtless Min was tying the strings of his grey sweatpants when he looked at her in surprise. Keiba stared at him for a moment and then she burst into tears.

“What’s wrong?” He asked.

“Nightmare.” She murmured. Yun had been in it of course, and she’d returned to life after Mrs. Heller ran her over to finish what she’d started. Just thinking about it gave her chills.

Min forgot about looking for a shirt and got into bed so he could properly comfort her. She was eager to burry herself into his chest (bare as it was) and let the cool fear slip out with Min’s warmth.

“I’m so glad you’re okay.” He whispered. “I’m so, so glad.”

“Me too.” She agreed.

“I know this sounds cliché, but when I thought that she’d shot you, I… it was like… the world lost its sun. I can’t really explain it. There was just this feeling of being lost…” he paused, frowning in frustration at his inability to articulate his thoughts.

She cuddled closer to him and turned so that they were facing each other. She wrapped her arms around him and nuzzled her face into his neck. “I understand, Min.”

He smiled a little. “Maybe you do.”

“Sing to me.” She murmured. “Anything. I don’t care what. I just like listening to your voice.”

He chuckled. “Alright.”

He sang “You Are My Sunshine” and a couple of Korean lullabies. But he stopped halfway through the last one, and when Keiba looked up she saw that he’d put himself to sleep.

He looked so peaceful and vulnerable. Like the influences of the world had been erased from his face entirely. He was like a moon prince napping in his chambers. She smiled at the analogy.

Keiba gently kissed the corner of his mouth whispering, “Je t’aime, ma lune prince,” against his skin. And as though he knew what she’d said subconsciously, his arms pulled her closer so that his chin rested above her head. She settled against him and relaxed. This time, there weren’t any bad dreams.

Je t'aime ma lune prince means "I love you, my moon prince". 

Poor Yun. I feel bad for her even though she was nutty as a fruitcake ._. 

Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this installment of Tied Up in Knots. Keiba was the first to say "I love you" (and even went so far as to call him a "moon prince"), but I wonder if that really counts if Min's unconscious. And wow he must be a really good singer if he can put himself to sleep like that, no? =3

As always, tell me what you think and much love to subbies new and old! \^^/